As the demand for high speed broadband networking over wireless communication links increases, so too does the demand for different types of networks that can accommodate high speed wireless networking. For example, the deployment of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (“IEEE”) 802.11 wireless networks in homes and business to create Internet access “hot spots” has become prevalent in today's society. However, these IEEE 802.11-based networks are limited in bandwidth as well as distance. For example, maximum typical throughput from a user device to a wireless access point is 54 MB/sec. at a range of only a hundred meters or so. In contrast, while wireless range can be extend through other technologies such as cellular technology; data throughput using current cellular technologies is limited to a few MB/sec. Put simply, as the distance from the base station increases, the need for higher transmission power increases and the maximum data rate typically decreases. As a result, there is a need to support high-speed wireless connectivity beyond a short distance such as within a home or office.
As a result of the demand for longer range wireless networking, the IEEE 802.16 standard was developed. The IEEE 802.16 standards are often referred to as WiMAX or less commonly as WirelessMAN or the Air Interface Standard. These standards provide specifications for fixed broadband wireless metropolitan access networks (“MAN” s) that use a point-to-multipoint architecture (IEEE 802.16d) and combined fixed and mobile broadband wireless access system's (IEEE 802.16e). Such communications can be implemented, for example, using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (“OFDM”) communication. OFDM communication uses a spread spectrum technique distributes the data over a large number of carriers that are spaced apart at precise frequencies. This spacing provides the “orthogonality” that prevents the demodulators from seeing frequencies other than their own.
The 802.16 standards support high bit rates in both uploading and downloading from a base station up to a distance of about 30 miles (about 50 km) to handle such services as VoIP, IP connectivity and other voice and data formats, e.g., time division multiplexing (“TDM”). Expected data throughput for a typical WiMAX network is 45 MBits/sec. per channel. The 802.16e standard defines a media access control (“MAC”) layer that supports multiple physical layer specifications customized for the frequency band of use and their associated regulations. This MAC layer uses protocols to ensure that signals sent from different stations using the same channel do not interfere with each other and “collide”.
The IEEE 802.16e air interface standard and corresponding WiMAX network architecture standard, as defined by the WiMAX forum, is primarily designed to support user/device mobility. Some network operators have readily available radio spectrum for deploying an 802.16e network; however, governmental regulations may restrict usage of these radio spectrums for supporting mobile wireless devices. In other words, although a network is fully compliant with the IEEE 802.16e standard and capable of supporting full mobility services for mobile wireless devices, government regulations require that the mobility services be either partially or completely restricted or unavailable to the wireless devices. It is therefore desirable to have methods and systems to prevent full or partial mobility support for IEEE 802.16e compliant wireless devices without requiring any changes to either the IEEE 802.16e standard, the Network Architecture as defined by the WiMAX Forum, the mobile devices themselves or the over the air control messages exchanged between the device and the network.